OKESON STEPS FORWARD TO GUIDE COLLEGE

Amid a challenging time with the impacts of COVID-19, the college welcomed a familiar face to its leadership lineup in July 2020. University of Kentucky Professor Jeffrey Okeson was named dean of the College of Dentistry during the summer. A UKCD graduate, Dr. Okeson has been a fulltime faculty member at UK for over 40 years. He has served in various leadership roles within the College of Dentistry, including chief of the Division of Orofacial Pain and director of the UK Orofacial Pain Clinic, which he founded in 1977; chair of the Department of Oral Health Science; and interim dean since September 2019.

Okeson shared, “I am very honored to have the opportunity to lead our college through these challenging times and into the future. It is with much excitement and enthusiasm that I take on this responsibility. There is no better place to be than Kentucky. We have a nationally recognized faculty and the most dedicated staff found anywhere. We have a talented group of high achieving students who are interested in learning. We have a very strong reputation of educating the very best dentists. This will continue as we move forward.”

Over the summer, Dean Okeson met with alumni virtually to provide college updates and answer questions around the college’s efforts around COVID-19. He stressed that even in challenging environments, the college was still focused on graduating dentists who are biologically oriented, technically capable and socially sensitive. Alumni expressed their support for the dean and praised his emphasis on student success. As a world-renowned specialist in orofacial pain, Okeson has more than 240 publications in various national and international journals covering the areas of occlusion, temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD), and orofacial pain. He has written two textbooks on TMD and orofacial pain, which have been translated into 12 languages. Okeson was named International Dentist of the Year by the Academy of Dentistry International to recognize his worldwide efforts in these fields. He has lectured in every U.S. state and 59 countries.

During his tenure at UK, Okeson has received numerous awards. He has been honored with UK’s campus-wide Great Teacher Award, the Provost’s Distinguished Service Professorship, and received the first-ever Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Dentistry. He is the first and only dentist to be inducted into the University of Kentucky Hall of Distinguished Alumni. He has also been recognized as the most outstanding professor in the state of Kentucky with the Acorn Award.

“I see many great things happening in our college because the people, the environment, and the collegiality are perfect for great success. I am thrilled to be a part of leading such a complete organization. I pledge to each of you all my enthusiasm and energy so that we might achieve the highest goals possible. As we join together with common purposes, our achievements are limitless. I cannot wait to visualize our future accomplishments.”

Previous Page: Okeson offers remarks to the Class of 2020 at Kroger Field.

Right: Okeson with UKCD Orofacial Pain residents.

Far Right: Okeson with UKCD founding dean, Dr. Alvin Morris.